Chapter Questions

1.On page 421, Lucy compares M. Paul Emanuel to Napoleon Bonaparte. What do you make of this comparison? Base your answers on what we know about M. Paul from Villette and the knowledge we have of Bonaparte from the video.



2.On pages 436-438, M. Paul tells Lucy that he watches over the garden from a “room I have hired, nominally for study—virtually for a post of observation.” What was your reaction to his admission that he spies on the women of Villette with the help of a telescope? Are his actions “not right,” as Lucy claims? If one of your acquaintances had a habit of spying on you, how would you feel?


3.On page 446, Paulina tells Lucy about a letter she receives from Dr. John. How does Paulina’s reaction to the letter mirror Lucy’s reaction when she first received a letter from Dr. John? Do you think the fact that Paulina is now receiving letters from Dr. John officially puts an end to any hope Lucy may have had of being with him?


4.On page 456, M. Paul calls Lucy his “little sister.” What was your initial reaction to this? Do you think this indicates that M. Paul is looking for nothing more than a brother-sister type of relationship with Lucy? If you were Lucy, how would you feel about this?


5.On page 465, we are offered a lot of information on M. Paul’s background. For example, we learn of his lover, Justine Marie, who tragically died. Given this new information, how has your opinion of M. Paul changed? How do you think the events outlined in this chapter have helped shape M. Paul as a person?

Character Match-Up

To help strengthen your understanding of Villette's main characters, pick a living person (it can be a actor, musician, athlete, etc.) who you think could play Lucy, Polly, Dr. John, Ginevra, and M. Paul in a film. Do not base your choice solely on looks. For example, you might want to consider the following things when making your choice: personality, status in society, mannerisms, etc.

Here are some examples...

Polly- Nicole Richie

                                                      

M. Paul- Six Flags Guy

Images Courtesy of Paul Davidson and Debroff Debrief